As is well known to anyone who has ever held a golf club and swung it with the intent of hitting a golf ball, there are many aspects of body position and movement which must be controlled to properly and effectively perform this task. To do so, however, requires some skill and much concentration. For example, the grip of the hands on the handle of the golf club must be firm and properly positioned. Further, the golfer must properly "address" the ball. The golfer's head must be properly positioned and his/her eyes must be directed to the ball. The golfer's shoulders must be properly set and the legs bent in a precise manner. Indeed, volumes have been written about the golf swing and what a golfer should do to perfect it. All is for naught, however, if you have no idea where the golf ball will go when it is hit.
It is known that the most important factor in directing the flight of a golf ball is the positioning of the feet relative to the golf ball, i.e. the stance of the golfer. Not only does the golfer's stance generally determine the direction in which the golf ball will go when hit, it also has an effect on the spin which is imparted to the ball when it is hit by the golf club. Whether you want to "hook" or "slice" the ball, and how much you want to do so, is somewhat a function of stance. In any event, the stance of the golfer is important. Fortunately, the proper positioning of the feet is an essentially mechanical function which, when mastered, can leave the golfer free to concentrate more specifically on other aspects of the golf swing.
The present invention recognizes that a golfer's stance is basically a matter of properly orienting the golfer's body relative to the golf ball and the direction in which the golfer desires to hit the ball. The present invention also recognizes that a ground based reference system can be established for training purposes which will give the golfer an opportunity to compare different stances and the effect these stances have when different clubs are used to accomplish different golf shots.
In light of the above it is an object of the present invention to provide a training aid which will assist the golfer to establish a proper stance during a golf swing. It is another object of the present invention to provide a golf training aid which is easily set up and easily moved to permit repetitive uses of the training aid in different locations and under different circumstances. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a golf training aid which is simple to use, relatively easy to manufacture and comparatively cost effective.